Ion exchange devices are used in a wide variety of domestic and industrial applications to remove cations dissolved in an aqueous stream. Many different cations can be removed by this technique, including, for example, nickel, copper, cobalt, silver, calcium and magnesium ions.
A difficulty encountered in the past in the use of cation exchange resins was the need for periodically removing the cation exchange device from operation to regenerate the cation exchange resin. Typically, the cation exchange resin would be regenerated by removal of the ions through a salt or acid wash or by passing an electric current through the cation exchange resin to aid in the removal of the ions.